Chapter 13 Medieval Africa Chapter 13 Medieval Africa

Africa’s Geography Africa is the second-largest continent in the world.  The Sahara and Kalahari Desert are in Africa.  (pages 445–446) The African continent contains rain forests; savannas, which are tropical grasslands; and deserts.  The Rise of African Civilizations The Sahara is the largest desert in the world.

Africa’s Geography (cont.) A plateau is an area of high, flat land.  The Nile River is Africa’s longest river.  Almost all of Africa, except the coastal plains, rests on a plateau.  The Rise of African Civilizations The Congo River is about 2,700 miles long.  The Grand Rift Valley was formed when parts of the plateau’s surface dropped. (pages 445–446)

Africa’s Geography (cont.) Some of the earliest human fossils have been found in the Grand Rift Valley. The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 445–446)

West African Empires The Berbers were the first known people to settle in North Africa.  After crossing the Sahara to trade with others, they told stories of the gold in western Africa.  Berbers used horses and donkeys to cross the desert until the Romans brought camels from central Asia. The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 447–449)

West African Empires (cont.) Camels could travel for days without water and stored fat in their humps for food.  Trade prospered after the introduction of the camel, and rulers of cities began to build empires. The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 447–449)

West African Empires (cont.) Ghana, the first large empire to rise from trading wealth, was located where trade routes came together.  Ghana’s rulers required traders to pay a tax to Ghana to pass through.  The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 447–449) Traders paid the taxes because Ghana made iron weapons and had a huge army.

West African Empires (cont.) Also, the traders wanted to trade so much they would do so at almost any price.  Ghana fell in the 1200s because of constant fighting between Ghana rulers and North African Muslims, the discovery of gold outside of Ghana’s control, and exhausted soil that was too poor for farming.  The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 447–449) Ghana was replace by the kingdom of Mali.

West African Empires (cont.) Legend tells of a warrior-king named Sundiata Keita who seized Ghana and then won control of Timbuktu, a trading city.  Mansa Musa was the last strong ruler of Mali.  The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 447–449) He died in  The kings who followed him were unable to stop the Berbers from overrunning the kingdom.

West African Empires (cont.) Sunni Ali, the leader of Songhai, drove the Berbers out of Timbuktu.  His army pushed west and took over the Berber salt mines.  The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 447–449) His empire became the largest in West Africa and lasted almost 100 years after his death in  In 1591, Arab soldiers from Morocco attacked the Songhai and ended their empire.

Kingdoms of the Rain Forest People in the rain forest built their own empires, such as Kongo and Benin.  King Ewuare founded the empire of Benin around  The rain forests provided farmers with a climate and soil suitable for farming.  The Rise of African Civilizations The farmers could grow plenty of food in the rain forests. (pages 450–451)

Kingdoms of the Rain Forest (cont.) Food surpluses supported rulers and an artisan class.  These empires traded surplus food to neighboring people in the savannas for copper, salt, and leather goods. The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 450–451)

East Africa The country of Ethiopia today traces its origins to Queen Makeda, who became queen of an empire called Saba or Sheba in 1005 B.C.  Glory of Kings, Ethiopia’s oldest written history, recounts how Makeda visited with King Solomon of Israel.  The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 451–453) When she returned to Saba, she introduced ancient Israel’s religion to her empire.

East Africa (cont.) Although Saba declined, the country of Ethiopia remained strong.  Axum was a powerful city-state in Ethiopia.  The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 451–453) It was located on the Red Sea and became a powerful trading center.  Axum fought with neighboring Kush to control trade routes.

East Africa (cont.) Around A.D. 300, King Ezana of Axum defeated Kush.  The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 451–453) King Ezana converted to Christianity and made it the official religion in A.D  Arabs invented triangular sails called dhows that helped them sail to Africa.  Arab Muslim traders sailed to Africa to trade with East African city-states.

East Africa (cont.) Cities arose on the East African coast to support Arab-African trade.  The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 451–453) Zimbabwe was a great trading city.

East Africa (cont.) During the 1400s, two kings, Mutota and his son, Matope, made Zimbabwe into a large empire.  The Rise of African Civilizations (pages 451–453) Great Zimbabwe was the capital.

Government and Society They settled arguments, managed trade and protected the empire.  Merchants paid taxes to the king and received favors from him.  Early African kings were powerful.  (pages 461–462) Local rulers had some power and were loyal to the king.  This system allowed empires to prosper and grow. Africa’s Government and Religion

Government and Society (cont.) The empire was divided into provinces, ruled by lesser kings or conquered leaders.  Ghana’s government included a council of ministers, who advised the king.  (pages 461–462) Below them, local leaders ruled over a district that included the leader’s clan— a group of people descended from the same ancestor. Africa’s Government and Religion

Government and Society (cont.) Mali’s royal officials had more responsibility than Ghana’s officials did.  The throne of Ghana was passed on to the son of the king’s sister.  (pages 461–462) Mali’s empire was also divided into provinces, and generals governed the provinces.  The generals protected the people from invaders and usually came from the province they ruled. Africa’s Government and Religion

Government and Society (cont.) In 1492, Muhammad Ture seized control of Songhai.  Although Sunni Ali began dividing Songhai into provinces for government, he died before he could finish.  (pages 461–462) He was a faithful Muslim, and his religious ideas affected the Songhai government. Africa’s Government and Religion

Traditional African Religions Many African groups believed in one supreme god.  (page 463) African religious practices vary from place to place, but their beliefs served similar purposes—to help people stay in touch with their history and provide rules for living.  Many Africans believed the spirits of dead relatives stayed with them when they died and that the spirits could talk to the supreme god. Africa’s Government and Religion

Islam in Africa Islam was popular in West African cities where Africans traded with Muslim Arabs, but not all West Africans accepted Islam.  Some Muslims complained that the West African leaders Sunni Ali and Sundiata Keita did not try to promote Islam.  Mansa Musa had worked to spread Islam, though he allowed different religions. (pages 464–467) Africa’s Government and Religion

Islam in Africa (cont.) He made a pilgrimage to Makkah, or Mecca, with a caravan of thousands of people.  Sunni Ali practiced the traditional religion of the Songhai but called himself a Muslim.  His son refused to declare himself a Muslim. (pages 464–467) Africa’s Government and Religion

Islam in Africa (cont.) Muhammad Ture declared himself king and drove Ali’s family from Songhai.  He then took the name Askai Muhammad.  Under him, Songhai became the largest empire in West Africa.  (pages 464–467) Timbuktu—its capital—was a center of Islamic learning and culture. Africa’s Government and Religion

Islam in Africa (cont.) In East Africa, the culture blended African and Muslim traditions.  Northern and eastern African people adopted Islamic laws and ideas, even though some opposed those ideas.  Islam also encouraged learning.  (pages 464–467) Muslim schools taught Arabic.  Islam also influenced art and architecture. Africa’s Government and Religion

Life in Medieval Africa The Bantu people traveled through southern Africa, and had settled most of Africa by A.D  They spread their language, Swahili, and their culture as they traveled.  (pages 469–470) Africans often lived with extended families, or families made up of several generations. African Society and Culture

Life in Medieval Africa (cont.) Many African villages were matrilineal, meaning the people traced their ancestors through their mothers rather than their fathers.  Children were valued in African culture.  (pages 469–470) They were considered the link between the past and the future.  African Society and Culture Some people believed ancestors could be reborn in children.

Life in Medieval Africa (cont.) Families and villages taught children the history of their people and the skills they would need as adults.  Stories were passed down through word- of-mouth, and lessons were given through short sayings called proverbs. (pages 469–470) African Society and Culture

Life in Medieval Africa (cont.) Men had more rights than women did, and they controlled what women did.  There were exceptions.  (pages 469–470) Dahia al-Kahina was a queen who led the fight against a Muslim invasion.  African Society and Culture Nzinga was a queen who battled Portuguese slave traders for nearly 40 years. Women’s roles were mainly as wives and mothers. 

Slavery Africans enslaved criminals and enemies captured in war.  (pages 472–473) The slave trade grew as trade with Muslim merchants increased.  Slavery existed in Africa before the arrival of Europeans.  Muslims were not allowed to enslave other Muslims, but they could enslave people of other faiths. African Society and Culture

Slavery (cont.) These enslaved people were used to farm crops of cotton, grapes, and sugar cane. The Portuguese brought enslaved Africans to Europe in  African Society and Culture (pages 472–473)

Slavery (cont.) In the late 1400s, Europeans established sugar plantations in the Americas and brought enslaved Africans to work the fields. African Society and Culture (pages 472–473)

African Culture (pages 474–476) Artistic expression was an important part of African culture.  African Society and Culture Enslaved Africans took their culture with them when they were traded.  The African Diaspora is the spreading of African people and culture around the world.  Early African cave paintings showed daily life, told stories, and had some religious meaning or use.

African Culture (cont.) Wooden masks celebrated religious beliefs, and wooden, ivory, or bronze works showed the faces of important leaders, everyday people, and European explorers and traders.  African Society and Culture Music was an important aspect of almost every part of African life.  Many African songs used musical instruments to keep a beat during the singing. (pages 474–476)

African Culture (cont.) Africans used dance in important events because they felt that dance allowed the spirits to express themselves.  African Society and Culture Enslaved Africans used music to remind them of their homeland.  Their songs of hardship and religious faith grew into gospel songs.  Jazz, blues, ragtime, rock and roll, and rap are genres also based in African musical traditions. (pages 474–476)

African Culture (cont.) Storytelling is a strong African tradition. African Society and Culture (pages 474–476)